The Fiction Desk

Open now for fiction.

Last checked

The Fiction Desk is a UK short-story publisher seeking new fiction for its anthologies, with submissions also considered by partner imprint Uncertain Stories.

Response time info: within six weeks

Read the full guidelines at thefictiondesk.com↗

Submission calls

fictionLiteraryEligibility requirementsCloses Sep 30Fee: £5 per storyPays: £25 per thousand words, plus six printed copies

Open to: Open internationally, but submissions must be in English; stories must not have appeared elsewhere, and authors must not have used AI tools.

The spring general short-fiction call is open until midnight UK time on September 30, 2026. Stories must be 1,000–15,000 words, unpublished, in English, and not AI-generated; submissions are considered for both The Fiction Desk and Uncertain Stories unless otherwise requested.

fictionScience FictionFantasyHorrorEligibility requirementsCloses Sep 30Fee: £5 per storyPays: £25 per thousand words, plus six printed copies

Open to: Open internationally, but submissions must be in English; stories must not have appeared elsewhere, and authors must not have used AI tools.

Uncertain Stories seeks short stories with a light supernatural or speculative edge; submissions through the shared form are considered for both publishers unless the author requests otherwise. The current spring call closes at midnight UK time on September 30, 2026, and stories must be 1,000–15,000 words.

fictionHorror

The publication runs an annual ghost-story call in winter; no current dates are provided.

Find every market your piece fits.

Add your writing — make it private, or open it up for critiques — and Leafmines matches it against 1,000+ magazines and journals in one go, free.

Similar markets seeking submissions

Browse more: short fiction markets, literary markets, fantasy markets, horror markets, science fiction markets

← All marketsBrowse A–Z